Go - a game for old men..or so google thinks

[BobC]

I just been pointed at this:

http://www.google.com/ads/preferences

now looking at my "preferences" - movies, fitness and board games. Google now has me in the 65+ years old demographic. I assume that movies and fitness are not restricted to geriatrics.. so I blame Go for aging me prematurely.

[daal]

If it's any consolation, Bob, discovering that Google thinks that I'm in the 25-34 range has made me feel an inch or two taller.

[Dazz]

I was talking with a 25-year-old Korean I had met and I was curious to know if he played Go. I was suprised when he told me it was a game that older people play and that he knew the rules but didn't play. I think he was more suprised that I knew the game and actually played it. I think seeing all the young professionals from Korea led me to think that it was popular among Korean youth in general.

[Numsgil]

Hulu thinks I'm a teenage Korean girl. That's the only explanation I can think for why it's giving me Korean soap opera and tampax ads.

[Jedo]

Huh, apparently I'm 65+ too. At least they got my gender right...

[hyperpape]

My wife uses my computer, so Google thinks I'm a woman with an extremely varied set of interests. They did get my (our) age right.

[hailthorn011]

Mine fits. 18-24 range.

[Celebrir]

They got me completly right but I guess this is because I play Magic the Gathering and the Tabletop Warhammer as well. I'm just wondering what "Subcultures and niche intrests" means... Maybe japanese culture and language ? However, I was really suprised that Google thinks I'm intrested in finances

[Redbeard]

Hmmmm.. mine says: "Your browser's cookies seem to be disabled. Ads Preferences will not work until you enable cookies in your browser."

But this does remind of of a story.

I was working at the SGC booth for the annual Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival. We see a lot of little kids at the festival and teach them about Go. One boy was very interested in the game, so I gave his mother the address of the SGC and suggested that she bring him by for beginners night. She told me how surprised she was that her son was interested, because in Japan Igo is considered more of an old man's game. I started to explain that this was not necessarily true, when I looked at the group of volunteers I was working with. We were all men, all with varying shades of gray in our beards. I had to admit that it was probably true, but went on to explained about the many youth programs and tournaments the SGC and AGA support.

Still, every stereotype has a kernel of truth.

[oren]

Still, every stereotype has a kernel of truth.

When she means "old" she means everyone in their 50s and up. The SGC in comparison is quite a bit younger than walking into a Go Salon in Japan.

[Buri]

Greetings,
my experience to date in Japan tends to support this.
Silly as this sounds, I did start Igo because of watching `Hikaru no Go.` According to my reading this anime was responsible for a major boom among young Japanese ten years ago. My impression is this rather died out. Japan seems to be a little different from Korea and China in that the pro `Igo World` with it`s insei and demanding comitment is a rather out of sight sub-culture and that Igo is primarily associated with old people. Indeed, at the culture center where I play with others is pretty much like an old people`s home. (Some of those grannies are starting to look pretty sexy....) The old guys stagger over to the boards and creak down. Then their eyes light up and `bang,` they kill you. Most of them are four and five dan amateur.
I do attend an Igo club at an elementary school I work in but, frankly speaking, this age of student is not that impressed with the game. I don`t wish to deride mylife`s great passion, but I do sometimes think that after the initial buzz of the smaller boards, the majority of Japanese kids possibly don`t want the burden of extra hard work and study required to take it to the next levels. This is less true of Shogi and chess where one can learn in a very direct and straightforward way to a pretty decent level.
Igo is a subtle and mysterious(as well as cocnrete) art that may be just a little too elusive to get into the mainstream here. Why it should be true here when it clearly not the case in Korea I have no idea?
I am reluctant to even hint at the idea that a majority of Japanese kids are a little soft these days...
Idle thoughts with no qualitative evidence,
Buri

[Jedo]

So far this has been my experience at well. There's only about 3 people at the university club I've been going to, but that's because it's spring break, so I'll see what's it like when classes resume.

[ACooley]

Oh screw stereotypes! I've heard that in Asia Go is considered to be a perfect time-killer for aged folks, but it's a bit different here. It doesn't happen often, but in this case Google is wrong

[Buri]

Oh screw stereotypes! I've heard that in Asia Go is considered to be a perfect time-killer for aged folks, but it's a bit different here. It doesn't happen often, but in this case Google is wrong

Mmmmmmm not quite.
The word 'Asia' is perhaps too loose in this context.
For example, in China studying Igo is compulsory for those in the military officer academy. In Korea there are as many "juku" (cram schools)as there are regular juku in Japan. Trust me, that is an awful lot of schools! Indeed, perhaps ten percent of the Korean population plays and there are a number of extremely popular prime time tv programs on the subject.
There was a boom in Japan among young people caused by the animation hikaru no go (the best anime in human history....) but I suspect that has died down a bit. I find here that Japanese chess tends to be much more popular. So on the whole, the Japanjese public perceives it as an old person's game but I suspect all the hard core youngsters doing it would disagree.
At the very least it is generally considered a martial art here by those who know the game.
Cheers,
Buri

[brodie]

Definitely for old men here in Taiwan. Every young person I have talked to has said they know of it but don't play it. Weiqi is what old men play in the park. Video games are cooler. At the go salon its me and all old men (alright, some of them are in their forties, which I don't consider "old"). The exception is that the salon doubles as a go academy, i believe, so I did actually play a 5 year old girl there once. Boy was that awkward...