"Everyone" On The Internet Isn't Always International
Another in the series, "No, the Internet isn't international" - pt1, pt2, pt3
Google released it's Google Voice service with the headline, Google Voice for everyone.
Of course the 'everyone' referenced was 'everyone in the USA' ... check out the blog comments.
It is actually a serendipitous discovery for Google that a) they are a no-borders company; b) their Google Voice service is obviously eagerly awaited all around the planet.
"No-borders company" ... hmm, actually no, they are not. They are legally a USA company with the majority of their staff working within the US. They have (large) satellite offices around the world that feed back to the main US corporation. Their services are perceived as being ubiquitous and global but even that perception is false - you can't get a blogger account in China, never have been able to.
So, OK, Google isn't global but the perception is that they "think global".
The same for Facebook ("credits", one monetary system for the whole planet anyone), Amazon and all the other major Internet players.
But they don't.
When it comes down to it they are local US companies staffed by local US people that, naturally, think everyone else is awake when they are and goes to sleep when they do.
Perception != reality
Google released it's Google Voice service with the headline, Google Voice for everyone.
Of course the 'everyone' referenced was 'everyone in the USA' ... check out the blog comments.
It is actually a serendipitous discovery for Google that a) they are a no-borders company; b) their Google Voice service is obviously eagerly awaited all around the planet.
"No-borders company" ... hmm, actually no, they are not. They are legally a USA company with the majority of their staff working within the US. They have (large) satellite offices around the world that feed back to the main US corporation. Their services are perceived as being ubiquitous and global but even that perception is false - you can't get a blogger account in China, never have been able to.
So, OK, Google isn't global but the perception is that they "think global".
The same for Facebook ("credits", one monetary system for the whole planet anyone), Amazon and all the other major Internet players.
But they don't.
When it comes down to it they are local US companies staffed by local US people that, naturally, think everyone else is awake when they are and goes to sleep when they do.
Perception != reality
The headline betrays an arrogance that could harm Google over the long term. Nobody in New Zealand assumes everyone is just the local population.
ReplyDeleteI love the way Amazon (who *know* where I live and who *know* I've never had anything shipped to an address in the USA) is always very excited to offer me "Free Shipping on this Item !"
ReplyDeleteAlso, the sheer arrogance of the US media who reported the news in the same way: http://stuartm.com/post/726170910/google-voice-not-for-everyone
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