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Doofy · Jan 28, 2009, 01:43 PM

...can you name in five minutes?

No need for caps.

Timer starts as soon as you hit the page.

http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/view2/countries

I got 50. Mind went blank with a minute left.

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 01:50 PM

61, and I'm legitimately surprised it was that high.

Laminar · Jan 28, 2009, 01:51 PM

All of them. The ones that matter at least
USA! USA! USA! USA!

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 01:56 PM

So, any bets on whether Oisin goes over 100?

Laminar · Jan 28, 2009, 02:05 PM

percent gay? I thought he already passed that mark.

osiris · Jan 28, 2009, 02:10 PM

45 thanks to typos.

It wouldn't accept turks and caicos, but turks and caicos was one I missed according to the ending.
I hung on that one for a while - a long while.

philm · Jan 28, 2009, 02:10 PM

70 for me.

Chuckit · Jan 28, 2009, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

So, any bets on whether Oisin goes over 100?

I'm betting over 200. Somehow.

Spheric Harlot · Jan 28, 2009, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I'm betting over 200. Somehow.

140 if he needs to type their names in the respective native languages, with all diacritics and/or ideograms.

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar

percent gay? I thought he already passed that mark.

Zing!

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I'm betting over 200. Somehow.

I'm pretty confident he's going to comment that whatever number he had would have been higher if his typing skills were better or the timer were slightly longer.

villalobos · Jan 28, 2009, 02:48 PM

61 here. kinda lame. Had issues with english spelling too... which is is lame too. ugh, being lame all the time...

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 02:57 PM

I’d just like to state that this time, the thread derailing was not my fault! That said,

@ thread.

I also sort of blanked a large part of the last minute (and missed such obvious ones as Belgium and Germany, my own neighbours—duh!), but I did just manage to live up to your expectations of me, Dakar, though sadly I must be a huge disappointment to Chuckit—I did my best, but it just wasn’t good enough!

Edit: And why does Azerbaijan have to be so damn impossible to spell? We spell it Aserbaijdsjan in Danish, which is even worse, and makes me always want to add extra i’s and j’s everywhere.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2009, 02:57 PM

46 thanks to my spelling. I thought of probably ten more but couldn't spell them properly.

Also, I drew a much bigger blank about the countries in Africa than I thought I would.

dcmacdaddy · Jan 28, 2009, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

So, any bets on whether Oisin goes over 100?

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I'm betting over 200. Somehow.

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

140 if he needs to type their names in the respective native languages, with all diacritics and/or ideograms.

HA!

Now I don't feel so bad about teasing him about being a "one-man UN translation service" in the Hot Babes thread.

<edit>
He *only* got a 110 right and still managed to beat us all. I guess I should try my hand at this. Be back in five minutes with my results.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

HA!

Now I don't feel so bad about teasing him about being a "one-man UN translation service" in the Hot Babes thread.

Don’t feel bad. The fact that I’m apparently able to somehow instil this sort of image in the minds of all you strange Internet people is really boosting my confidence in my ability to delude.

I wonder whether they accept Eiffel Towers in the Marketplace on MacNN …

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 03:05 PM

Not that anyone cares, but I fell that if I had better typing/spelling, slightly more time, and slightly more memory, I'd still top out around 80-85.

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 03:07 PM

So, is it odd that scandinavian gay guy gets the most respectable teasing? I mean, what beats that, an albino hermaphrodite?

osiris · Jan 28, 2009, 03:07 PM

True.

Chuckit · Jan 28, 2009, 03:11 PM

Just in case anyone didn't know, there are only 190-ish recognized countries in the world, so my prediction was supposed to be a joke and he still got frighteningly close.

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 03:12 PM

Their accepted list was over 250, though.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Just in case anyone didn't know, there are only 190-ish recognized countries in the world, so my prediction was supposed to be a joke and he still got frighteningly close.

There were a lot more than 190 in that quiz-thing, though. Many of which aren’t recognised as countries (Hong Kong and Greenland, for example—I didn’t think of it before, but I’m sure Taiwan would have worked, too). I still had 160 or something like that left.

Originally Posted by Dakar V

So, is it odd that scandinavian gay guy gets the most respectable teasing? I mean, what beats that, an albino hermaphrodite?

Not really. Laminar doesn’t get any more respectable teasing than me, does he?

I keed, I keed—but he is always saying how pasty white he is!

subego · 03:23 PM

55 for the first try where I tried to go in order (starting with Canada), and learned that it won't take "the united states of america" but will take "united states". After I couldn't spell Uruguay I sort of lost my cool.

71 with an strategy of typing the shortest names first, but at about the three minute mark, losing track of which countries I had already used.

I didn't have a shortage of countries in either instance, I just knew that taking a shot at spelling Myanmar or Philippines was a losing proposition, and passing over countries like the Netherlands as just "too many goddamn letters" in the waning seconds.

After perusing the full list, I do not feel clever for using Monaco and Vatican City.

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

There were a lot more than 190 in that quiz-thing, though. Many of which aren’t recognised as countries (Hong Kong and Greenland, for example—I didn’t think of it before, but I’m sure Taiwan would have worked, too). I still had 160 or something like that left.

Ha, I scored all three of those.

Originally Posted by Oisín

Not really. Laminar doesn’t get any more respectable teasing than me, does he?

You're right, I forgot to add the Contour bit.

Jawbone54 · Jan 28, 2009, 03:20 PM

I got 55. I rattle them off for two minutes, then went completely blank. I caught my stride in the last 30 seconds, but it was already too late. I'm going to try again tonight. I know I can do better than that...

I left out a ton of Eastern European nations. Most of mine were Western Hemisphere and Asia.

dcmacdaddy · Jan 28, 2009, 03:20 PM

I got a respectable 61 but I blanked out in the last 30 seconds or so. Although,for some reason, Lithuania, Latvia, and Egypt did NOT register for me and they were NOT included in the master list of countries on the results page.

sek929 · Jan 28, 2009, 03:21 PM

Hmm, Egypt scored for me

Dakar V · Jan 28, 2009, 03:21 PM

Ditto.

subego · Jan 28, 2009, 03:28 PM

All three for me.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

I got a respectable 61 but I blanked out in the last 30 seconds or so. Although,for some reason, Lithuania, Latvia, and Egypt did NOT register for me and they were NOT included in the master list of countries on the results page.

That’s odd. Both Latvia, Lithuania, and Egypt registered fine for me. Indonesia, however, refused point-blank to register, though I didn’t check if it was in the list afterwards.

On the topic of long vs. short names: For some very odd reason, my mind instantly leapt to the most unlikely of names. São Tomé and Príncipe, French Guiana, Papua New Guinea, and Guadeloupe were among the first I thought of and typed in. Countries like Mali, Chad, Malta, or India, however, took me ages to think of.

subego · Jan 28, 2009, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

Indonesia, however, refused point-blank to register, though I didn’t check if it was in the list afterwards.

I'm pretty sure this worked for me.

I thought it wasn't taking Panama, but I had accidentally put a space in front of it.

Originally Posted by Oisín

On the topic of long vs. short names: For some very odd reason, my mind instantly leapt to the most unlikely of names. São Tomé and Príncipe, French Guiana, Papua New Guinea, and Guadeloupe were among the first I thought of and typed in. Countries like Mali, Chad, Malta, or India, however, took me ages to think of.

I toyed with the idea of doing it a third time, starting with the longest names, and intentionally saving Europe for the last minute.

Edit: dammit! I didn't get Switzerland either time.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by subego

I thought it wasn't taking Panama, but I had accidentally put a space in front of it.

I did that once or twice, too. Might also have been why it wouldn’t take Indonesia (though I don’t think so, ’cause I noticed the other times), and why dcmacdaddy couldn’t get his three to work.

Or maybe it’s just a bit buggy here and there.

dcmacdaddy · Jan 28, 2009, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

That’s odd. Both Latvia, Lithuania, and Egypt registered fine for me. Indonesia, however, refused point-blank to register, though I didn’t check if it was in the list afterwards.

Yeah. There back-end systems must be a bit wonky.

<possible derail>
And I realized Scotland is not in their list. Is that an independent country or not?
Maybe Doofy can chime in on this question.
</possible derail>

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 03:48 PM

Yeah, I tried my luck with Scotland and Wales, too (didn’t bother with Northern Ireland, considering the two others didn’t work). Scotland’s a country, but not a nation. It did take United Kingdom, though.

Jens Peter · Jan 28, 2009, 04:42 PM

ah - 43. Had a lot of problems getting the spelling correct..

I have to try again another day

Spheric Harlot · Jan 28, 2009, 04:54 PM

79, but I tried to keep a clear head and not rush it.

OreoCookie · Jan 28, 2009, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

Yeah, I tried my luck with Scotland and Wales, too (didn’t bother with Northern Ireland, considering the two others didn’t work). Scotland’s a country, but not a nation. It did take United Kingdom, though.

On the other hand, it accepted Taiwan, Isle of Man and Gibraltar just fine

Luca Rescigno · Jan 28, 2009, 05:15 PM

98. Blanked out a couple times but otherwise I was constantly entering something in.

SpaceMonkey · Jan 28, 2009, 05:18 PM

It also forced me to enter Burma as "Myanmar." Clearly, this test's sympathies rest with the junta.

Edit: Oh, I scored 85.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

On the other hand, it accepted Taiwan, Isle of Man and Gibraltar just fine

Yeah, Jersey too. Should have tried Guernsey, too, didn’t think of that.

Chuckit · Jan 28, 2009, 06:10 PM

So it's basically "name as many countries and/or islands as you can think of"?

Doofy · Jan 28, 2009, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

So it's basically "name as many countries and/or islands as you can think of"?

Well, no. The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are countries in their own right, so it's "name as many countries as you can".

Chuckit · 06:27 PM

Taiwan? And isn't Gibraltar a territory of the UK?

Shaddim · Jan 28, 2009, 06:19 PM

92, my mind went blank for the last 45 sec.

Oisín · Jan 28, 2009, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Taiwan? And isn't Gibraltar a territory of the UK?

Yeah, and Hong Kong certainly isn’t a country by any definition. It’s a Special Administrative Region.

Doofy · Jan 28, 2009, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

isn't Gibraltar a territory of the UK?

That all depends on who you ask.

subego · Jan 28, 2009, 07:22 PM

Is Taiwan just recognized by America or something?

That Taiwan registers doesn't surprise me. Hong Kong and Greenland, yes. Last time I recall looking, Greenland was Danish or something.

Dammit! I forgot Iceland both times too.

Paco500 · Jan 28, 2009, 07:47 PM

64 - I could have done quite a bit better verbally, but can't spell worth a damn. I'd say I wasted at least 25% of my time typing the same thing over and over trying to get stuff right.

subego · Jan 28, 2009, 08:06 PM

78 for the third time. In order. Europe last. I just don't type fast enough.

I didn't even get to the Scandinavian countries this time, but I did do Iceland, Uruguay, Myanmar and Switzerland.

I did not do Hong Kong because it shouldn't count.

Thorzdad · Jan 28, 2009, 08:12 PM

I can name hundreds of countries in five minutes.
Typing them all out in five minutes, not so much.

Luca Rescigno · Jan 28, 2009, 09:16 PM

I just got 123. This time I didn't flit around the map, instead doing one continent after another and keeping a queue of 2-3 other countries in my head so I wouldn't waste any time thinking without typing.

It helps that I can type really fast and know how to spell (most) of these countries' names.