Tried to register at this canadian site (http://wirelessandmobile.wowgao.com/registration/), and got the following pop up for state:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.
Now the question is, how many people will register in Oregon (Front) vs Oregon (Back).

And apparently... they have different option values too.  WTF?  Oregon (back) is 52, and Oregon (front) is 53.  View source to see what I mean.

Maybe that's for Bizarro World compatibility?

You (I believe) live in Oregon (front), informally known as OREGON.

But some people might live in ИO∂ЭЯO. 

I think the Canadians are plotting something.  Washington could already be lost.

N/k:

But some people might live in ИO∂ЭЯO. 

Genius! 

N/k:

But some people might live in ИO∂ЭЯO. 

You, good sir, made my day.

By the way, you owe my employer a new keyboard, one that's not leaking coffee.
 

The real WTF is  that they have a list of all provinces and states of 2 countries in one select box. Like, what if they want to go to Mexico? The list grows?
 

Kiss me I'm Polish:

The real WTF is  that they have a list of all provinces and states of 2 countries in one select box. Like, what if they want to go to Mexico? The list grows?

Nobody goes to mexico.  It usually works the other way.

Generally I just select the thing and hit V the requisite number of times until Virginia shows up in the box.  Thankfully Mexico only has one state that starts with a V, so I'd barely notice.

Cap'n Steve:

I think the Canadians are plotting something. Washington could already be lost.

Nope, it's right there, at the bottom. *waves hand* you saw nothing.

Yes.

realmerlyn:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.

If that is the case then this is probably a bigger WTF than is readily apparent. I suspect some programmer didn't want to type the 64 options in the list so he found a list of state and provincial flags on the net and wrote a script to convert the list and import it into a database (or just convert it into an HTML select box). While he probably could have typed all 64 options in five minutes the whole process of avoiding the typing probably took all day.

shakin:

realmerlyn:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.

If that is the case then this is probably a bigger WTF than is readily apparent. I suspect some programmer didn't want to type the 64 options in the list so he found a list of state and provincial flags on the net and wrote a script to convert the list and import it into a database (or just convert it into an HTML select box). While he probably could have typed all 64 options in five minutes the whole process of avoiding the typing probably took all day.

To be fair, the developer was probably Canadian and, as such, couldn't name every state from memory. For all we know up here, there might BE two Oregons!

realmerlyn:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.
Now the question is, how many people will register in Oregon (Front) vs Oregon (Back).

That would explain the strange behavior, but what a bizarre way to get a list of states....

As an American, I could type the names of all the united states in 3-4 minutes. Surely they could've just asked an America on staff to do this for them?

savar:

realmerlyn:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.
Now the question is, how many people will register in Oregon (Front) vs Oregon (Back).

That would explain the strange behavior, but what a bizarre way to get a list of states....

As an American, I could type the names of all the united states in 3-4 minutes. Surely they could've just asked an America on staff to do this for them?

You're probably better off calling someone's 8-year-old child and asking them.  With the average American, you'll be lucky if they don't end up with "West Idaho" or "New California" on the list.  And yes, I am one.  (An American, that is, not an 8-year-old child.)

 

cconroy:

savar:

realmerlyn:

I suspect they pulled a list of flags, and Oregon state is weird, having a different front and back.
Now the question is, how many people will register in Oregon (Front) vs Oregon (Back).

That would explain the strange behavior, but what a bizarre way to get a list of states....

As an American, I could type the names of all the united states in 3-4 minutes. Surely they could've just asked an America on staff to do this for them?

You're probably better off calling someone's 8-year-old child and asking them.  With the average American, you'll be lucky if they don't end up with "West Idaho" or "New California" on the list.  And yes, I am one.  (An American, that is, not an 8-year-old child.)

Oh, yeah, like it's hard.  I just started jotting down states 3 minutes ago and I'm up to 56 already!

Having grown up in Oregon, I can relate that Oregon (front) is the western, more populous side (west of the Cascade Mountains) and Oregon (back) is the eastern, more desolute side.

 

lol

I don't get why it's so hard for any Canadian to get all the US States right. Sure, there's 52 of them (including Alaska and Hawaii), but we're the US! Afterall, as an American, I can rattle off all Canadian states just like that:

Greenland and Chihuahua
Nova Lox
Prince Rupert Island
New Bowling
Quantico
Toronto
Manicouagan
Sassafras
Abba
British West Indies
U-Conn (Go Huskies!)
Northwest Australia
Nuthing

 --Rank

Rank Amateur:

I don't get why it's so hard for any Canadian to get all the US States right. Sure, there's 52 of them (including Alaska and Hawaii), but we're the US! Afterall, as an American, I can rattle off all Canadian states just like that:

Greenland and Chihuahua
Nova Lox
Prince Rupert Island
New Bowling
Quantico
Toronto
Manicouagan
Sassafras
Abba
British West Indies
U-Conn (Go Huskies!)
Northwest Australia
Nuthing

 --Rank

Something doesn't quite look right there. I grew up in Manicougan, and I'm pretty sure that that's not how it's spelled.

@Rank 

I thought I would have been able to list all the states of the US as well... I must be wrong though, I was under the impression that there were only 50 states in the US.

Reminds me, the US states is one of the games at listgames. I got a fair few when I tried it, but definitely not the whole lot.

As a resident of England, I can name the countries that make up the UK and some of the counties that make up England.  IE the 2 that i have lived in their immediate neighbours.  As for America, well I know you have states, but that is as far as it goes.

I am rather geographically challenged I think.

Bugger, my mouse battery just went flat, now i cant scoll the page :)

Due to English local government reorganization in 1972 a whole bunch of counties disappeared (e.g. Westmorland), with other new ones added (e.g. Humberside). It's been changed again since, and so I have little idea how many counties there are now. According to the Royal Mail I live in Middlesex, but really I live in one of the many London Boroughs that might still be "county equivalents", despite there now being a London Mayor and London Assembly. A big, deep, smelly WTF!
 

According to official sources, these two states are called Front and Reverse.