Kolya on 1/11/2010 at 12:12
@Melan: True, but voluntary fragmentation on the user level is always happening. It would be something else if Facebook didn't let you see certain content or redirected you to Facebook.hu. There you would be presented with mainly Hungarian content and couldn't see some other content at all.
Youtube and Google both do that. And many other sites as well, eg if I want the latest driver for my graphics card, the least likely place to find it will consistently be the German template I'm directed to on the manufacturer's site.
Often it's just sloppiness, or marketing taking over (Hello big bright badly translated flash movie!). And sometimes it's legal issues. Country based copyright claims interfere with the videos I get to see, the music I can hear, etc.
Altogether this creates a web that increasingly reflects national distribution schemes of content providers. And often under the guise of localisation. These are legitimate interests, no doubt, but they clash with the web itself and with my ability to communicate freely in it. I can't talk about a video I can't see. I cannot even join many sites. I have to look up what a Windows service is called in English to explain it to somebody and so on.
Pyrian on 4/11/2010 at 19:58
Hilariously, my company pipes our internet access through its hub in Massachussetts, so whenever I log on to places with targeted ads while at work, I get ads for things in New England. :p "Would love to go there, but it's a bit of a trip, I'm afraid..."
d0om on 5/11/2010 at 11:09
You can always use VPN to become from anywhere you fancy on the internet. It does cost extra though.
Martin Karne on 5/11/2010 at 23:28
Initiate Darknet, system ready.
