Do you have a default assumption for other Flutherites' age before you really know?
When I was younger especially my “default” was assuming everyone I saw online was my own age. They were however old I was, till proven otherwise. Occasionally I still find myself doing this. It’s less pronounced, but sometimes I am surprised for a moment when people mention something very age-specific (like being in high school or being retired) that is not consistent with being 20–30.
Does anyone else do this? Do you have other baseline assumptions, or make no assumptions without some kind of proof? I try not to, but for some reason there’s this gender-neutral twenty-something figure which acts as the default for a username I’m not familiar with yet.
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You can assume I’m in my 20’s or 30’s anytime!!!
I sometimes assume people on fluther are older than they actually are because I don’t expect such mature and wise answers from a teen or “20 something. ”
i don’t assume anything about age. But, based on some peoples’ answers, i assume some might have mental disabilities.
Typically I don’t assume age, except if their spelling, grammar and punctuation is terrible…then I assume they’re in the 12–16 age range. Most of the time I’m right, but sometimes I’m wrong, which is pretty disheartening.
“then I assume they’re in the 12–16 age range.”
Ouch!
Sometimes I do assume. I can’t really help it, and usually I’m not all that off with the age range.
@ChazMaz Well, I should have said that I realize not all 12–16 year-olds type that way…I never did! But if someone does type that way, that’s what I automatically assume, since a lot of 12–16 year-olds do speak that way on the internet, in texts, etc.
I assume that anyone I meet here is younger than I am. Since I just turned 60, it’s a relatively safe assumption.
I am usually shocked when I learn a person’s age, that I’ve been talking to here on Fluther. I’m not sure why, because I don’t go around guessing ages, but I do usually assume people are younger than they are.
@Judi aww, you guessed it!~
I usually get an idea of who is in their teens-20’s even if they are erudite. Sometimes it is questions asked and sometimes in answers there is just a lapse in experience based knowledge. If someone in their thirties is asking “How can I tell if she likes me?” that would be strange.
I can also usually tell if someone is over 55. There is an entirely different vibe if yoe can sniff retirement in the wind and freedom from child-rearing.
The easiest topics to differentiate politics, entertainment, education, relationships, drugs.
The hardest to differentiate: religion
I don’t really care how old a person is, as long as they are nice :)
But sometimes I do assume if someone is also a teen
You can get a general idea from a person’s contributions here but assumption is a key ingredient for error.
I used to have my picture on my avatar and people assumed I was a little bit younger than I am. I wonder how old people think I am now that they can’t see my smiling face?
I unnaturally think everyone is over 21 until I am told otherwise
I actually don’t assume people’s ages. I’m not really sure why. It may have something to do with a forum I was once a part of. It was a pretty tight knight community and I was only around 15 when I joined. Some of the people were my age or as young as 12, others were in high school, still more in college, and others were middle-aged mothers. We all got along really well though with the older ones helping the younger ones out. But, since then I’m generally aware of the variety of people that can still share a common interest.
Well I think on average people here are slightly older than me. But other than the ones I already know the age of (some have mentioned grandchildren, others that they go to school for example), I usually guess an approximate age based on language use.
Someone asking “wot shud I do abt this gf i meetin 2nite” is probably not old enough to get drink in a European bar, let alone an American one. People who use full sentences and proper punctuation are usually older than me. And you can guess a lot from content too.
@Jack79 that’s a little scary…you are a little too good at text speak!
I don’t have a very specific idea of the ages of Flutherites, but I have a kind of ‘younger’ or ‘older’ idea. Say < 24 or > 40. I have been wrong, even given such wide parameters.
@cak And for a non-American, Jack79 speaks english better than most Americans on the internet.
@chyna I know! He’s very talented.
I guess I tend not to assume an age until I see clues of the person’s age. Even then, I’m wrong, a fair amount of the time.
@Tink1113 I can’t answer that, you’ve said it before!
@cak Yeah I know, but do I seem 14 or older or younger?
@chyna For a non-American?! Heyyy… Many of us non-Americans have a great command of the English language! For example, there’s always the UK.
Yeah, I tend to assume that they’re around my age for some reason. It still shocks me occasionally when I find someone whose age is very different from mine.
@Saturated_Brain Yes, most of you do. And it’s delightful to find out someone I thought was American is from another country.
@Tink1113 coming from the mother of a 15yr old…you represent your age very well. You do not come across as a “young” 14. I enjoy your contributions and also appreciate the honesty and openness to your answers. Sometimes, you say something that adults need to remember. :) I’d say you are right on track and doing great. Understand it’s hard for me to answer this without having some bias, since I already know your age.
@cak Aww thanks :) I try my best, I don’t mind being called a young 14 or old 14 year old because it’s the truth :) I think your in my Fluther but if your not, I’ll add you. That was a wonderful answer
@chyna Yeah, we need to provide another opinion from you Americans =P
@chyna—You gotta include people from England, Ireland, Australia, etc. in your group of people who should speak/write with proper English grammar and spelling. English certainly didn’t come from America! And there are plenty of people in other countries who’s English is perfectly fine.
@aiwendil Yes, I was trying to compliment all non home grown Americans for their great english skills. Not sure why it didn’t come off that way.
@chyna – Ah, gotcha now. Makes sense, it was probably just me reading it backwards and upside down. No worries.
Well, given that it seems like 90% of the people here are middle-aged married women (and men, though that number is smaller), that’s become my default assumption age range for Flutherites.
I make no assumptions about age NOR gender. I’ll ask if I want to know.
My theories about age always exist on the very periphery of my consciousness, but I think I tend to assume that people are somewhere between their mid-twenties and early thirties. Somehow, I almost always manage to be surprised when I learn someone’s actual age.
I have a 50/50 chance of guessing someone’s gender correctly, and 90% of the time I am wrong. I don’t even hazard a guess at how old you people are. I love it however when people think I am female because of the Evelyn in my name.
I just figure everyone on here is either a 19 year old smoking hot babe, or pervs.
^^^^^^^^ PERV!!!! ~
(good example epony)
Guess how old I am. I’m not telling, but I like to see how people view me here.
I’m guessing 20 something?
__secret, aaagent mahan…__
That’s definitely the personality I like to keep up!
@chyna yeah for an american you’re english ain’t half-bad either lol [sic] ...I am in fact Australian :)
@Evelyn those are icons from the emoji app for the iPhone. Some of my comments with them get removed, though.
@Fred it’s cause not everyone can see them, only iPhone or iPod people can
Well, then, what do computer users see? Is it unidentifiable code or just nothing? And if it is nothing, why is it deleted??
Idk, I can see it, I’m not using a computer, why not ask someone dude?
I can see them, I’m on a laptop.
@Fred Well there you have it. Thanks @aiwendil !!
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