A Cross-Continental Analysis of How Regional Cues Shape Developers' Stack Overflow Contributions

Stack Overflow provides a wide range of knowledge for the software development community. Despite the importance of these platforms, several studies have shown that digital information tends to cluster geographically, which limits knowledge access that is otherwise necessary for innovation. The proposed study highlights the dynamics of users from different geographical backgrounds within Stack Overflow, which entails intra-country interactions, predominant topics of discouse, as well as their communication patterns. Finally, the study highlights that regional behavioural variations stem beyond cultural factors, encompassing technological advancement, entrepreneurial ventures, and workforce composition. This replication package is provided for those interested in further examining our research methodology.