Originally Posted by
Jinxy
Hear hear!! Finally other people speak up also... Was starting to think I was a big whinger in the minority!
Please talk board elected members... There is another world out there apart from the states and not everything that should be covered to include us, is.
I love FT, hence why I chose to be a member here rather than the Aussie version where too much politics put me off participating in normal forum topics.
It may not seem like a big deal to those of you, but spare a thought please.
In the future I think a fair and balanced talk board should have members from all over the world, I truly believe it is fairer and you get a balanced view from different areas.
If by bedfordrocks and myself being the only two Aussie candidates plus others that were not US based, you know there is interest and willingness for us to be included.
I would almost imagine that all the votes for the top 5 especially being high posters from the US were guaranteed to get in even with the low votes polled this year. Americans on an American website wouldn't have voted for international people.
FWIW, I am not American and no longer based in the States. For heaven's sake, English is not even my native language. But with due respect, my take on and experience of FT & TB is not the same as yours. You may want to check out
this earlier thread on "diversities" on FT. Some interesting discussion there.
Having said that,
North America based FTers are indeed the biggest group on FT. Statistically speaking, it only makes perfect sense to feel they are more "visible" or speak louder than the rest of us, because, well, there are more of "them." That doesn't mean other voices are silenced on FT. We are all our own masters to decide how we participate and voice our POVs. FT provides a platform and everyone has equal opportunity. If you want to be heard, you just have to speak up. If there's a good speaker in you, that will definitely help.
As a matter of fact, there were excellent non-American TBers in previous years. It just so happens this year we now get an all American Talkboard. May the best candidates win, the past, the present, and the future.