To the more insightful members of this forum?

Hmmmm - okay, I'm going to assume for the moment that I am insightful. And I think that the people in this forum represent a section of the English speaking world that has nothing better to do at the moment. (I could be cleaning the basement, but this is better.)

It is definitely skewed because many posters of this forum are American. If we were in the Canadian forum, I can say the opinions would be skewed differently. So no, it's not accurate to the English speaking world as I know it. It is very American around here. There are some hilarious Americans I must say. Canadian forums lack the sarcasm and humor which I enjoy.

Quite an arbitrary question. Since the only object of statistics that you mention is "the english speaking world" I'd say the representation is skewed one hundred percent toward people who speak english.

In some ways I think it representative and in others a selective segment. Let me explain.

Few people have time to do this. They are too busy or do not have internet access or are unaware this even exist.

Psychologically however, I think it does serve as a valid sampling of the English speaking world since people tend to think a lot like those around them and that of those that are not accounted for here, they would pretty much fit right in to the categories that already exist on here.

So all in all the middle of the bell is evident here with very few exceptions.

I could be absolutely wrong in this too….

It's skewed. This is the English speaking world who is in a situation that they can spend a considerable amount of time online, has enough interest in religion to come here, can type, etc.

As far as their views and their level of (il)literacy and (anti)intellectualism are concerned and the somewhat lacking exchange of real information in relation to questions posed . . . yes (especially in regard to American participants) and THAT, my friend, is VEEERY scary. All age groups of people with a lot of time on their hands seem to be represented here, although I suspect there is a large majority of young adults and teens playing on the site (asking strangers w/o medical backgrounds to diagnose pregnancy 100 times a day in another Answers category--and asking whether God exists the same amount of times in this category).

I am the medical editor of a few well-read and nationally recognized clinical medical journals. I now have only 1 journal assigned to me and I'm caught up with my work for the next 2 months. It has been this way for months, so I linger on this site to pass the time. Although most of my "best answers" come from responding to Qs in the health section, I hang out here in the R&S section because I have more than 30 years academic and experiential study in spiritual philosophy, mysticism, and spiritual practices East and West. I think I am outside the mainstream of most users of this site.

The internet PERIOD is not an accurate representation of the English speaking world.

I think it's skewed, you notice that the only people who come on here are angry people, or people who have nothing better to do and some that don't know anything about what they believe. You ever notice that not one Scientist or Professor of Religions ever comes on here?

Skewed totally. There are people who do this in there free time, and those that do it to waste time at work. Those that come here on their free time are probably a little tragic. I get paid to be here. Its full of nut jobs too.

SkeWed