Monday, May 28, 2007

I hate localization: Google



I tried sending Google feedback (they say you can here) ... but I couldn't find any place to actually send feedback to them (let me know when you find it) about the one issue I HATE the most on the web now: localization

Everytime I type in "google.com" it automatically takes me to google.cz -- and the page is in Czech. Now, I live in the Czech Republic and I speak Czech quite well ... but, I want google.com and in English, not google.cz in Czech. I have changed my language settings, but to no avail -- I always get freaking google.cz. I hate it to death. Other web sites do it, too, and I hate it to death. I am going to compile a hit list soon ... it's driving me nutz!

At least give us a REAL opportunity to say we want it in English -- or -- let us view the page man, for Christ's sake! You'd think Google, with all of their "brains" (again, check their "feedback" page...) they'd be able to get this right.


[ Technorati Tags: Google Portals Geotracking
Localization search ]

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

You totally right David!
I live in Russia and Russian is my native, but frequently i need exactly google.com instead google.ru

Dima.

Rohit Sattar said...

I think localization is very necessary for google and other top industries.
Google can't manage the whole thing from a single place; or from just USA. So it has some regional units, and localization was born. :D
But of course, i get less interested results in google.co.in (India); And i always use, google.com

David Stennett said...

I have no problems with localization (I'm all for it!) -- I have problems with being FORCED to a localization site. If I type in google.com -- it should not FORCE me to google.cz (or if I'm in India, to google.co.in) ... that is wrong. If I type in google.cz, I should go to google.cz. Same with google.com or google.co.in

vzjp said...

I quite agree.

For one thing, Google in Czech does not link to google news. I also had the problem with Google Earth coming up in Czech instead of English and when i Googled for a solution I found your blog ;).

Keep posting.

Anyway, try setting your homepage to
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en

instead of just google.com

Cheers

VP

Rhazelle said...

huh, I try using google in other languages and it works fine for me, I don't know why yours keeps redirecting you =/

hope you get it fixed soon

svaens said...

damn right!
I only found this blog because I typed in the google search words "I hate localization"
Which I do.
There are cases where one version is simply better than the other. For instance, googlemaps.com is better than googlemaps.com.au (i'm australian) .... some features are different, and the australian one isn't so great to use.

myspace is terrible for that... I am living in Germany, but obviously want the english site. It is impossible to get it.

Why do they implement this like that have, when our internet browsers include language preferences in the request packets they send out to the internet! What has the internet got to do with physical locality!!! Geez!!

Anonymous said...

For those that are still looking for a solution for this problem:
www.google.com/ncr

svaens said...

I hate it too. myspace is another culprit!

Anonymous said...

I hate localization too and I also arrived here by typing "I hate localization" in a search engine.
Localization is the reason I stopped using google, being using bing instead.

Perhaps if we were all to use darknets(like tor) and proxies(costs $ :( ) they would drop this strategy to fence us.

Anonymous said...

I hate localization too and I also arrived here by typing "I hate localization" in a search engine.
Localization is the reason I stopped using google, being using bing instead.

Perhaps if we were all to use darknets(like tor) and proxies(costs $ :( ) they would drop this strategy to fence us.

David Stennett said...

Looks like Google and co have slightly fixed this -- if you log into your account, it seems to remember your preference -- but only if you login.

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