Janne [06.02.07 09:26 AM]

This also demonstrates another common problem, dates don't seem to be properly localised.

  Pete Kazanjy [06.02.07 09:50 AM]

Tim,

It's funny that you just posted on this. I was in Venice last week, and it was quite the challenge using Blogger to post and comment moderate my blog when all the links and buttons had been "helpfully" localized into Italian for me!

Thank goodness it's a romance language, and my Spanish and French helped me limp along, but still, it was quite frustrating, especially how obvious it was that I was, well, me, just in Italy.

And I DEFINITELY spent five minutes trying to find the place where I could change the language, to no success. So not only was it "doh" that it was localized by default, but there was no way (to my finding) to say "thanks, but no thanks, guys" to the software.

As my dad says "I love it when my computer thinks it's 'smarter' than me."

  Andrew Perepelytsya [06.02.07 10:39 AM]

Tim,

I'm surprised why you refer to it as some trivial 'non-issue'. Google Calendar apart, I see a trend in all google apps recently, which is 'Do not care much about you' (no, I'm not affiliated nor work for any of google competitors).

Our company intended to switch to Google Enterprise Apps, and they had to revoke their application (for the whole company, note it), because of numerous 'not-so-smart' things like the one you mentioned. Here it is: there was nothing enterpise'y about those apps. I know it sounds like bashing, but treat it rather like a burned customer's experience. They are trading their name built on search (which works above fine). Several more really nice products and ideas. And a whole lot of other s*** they try to market.

  Steve Loughran [06.02.07 12:53 PM]

Google docs went all dutch on me in the Netherlands last month, so maybe it depends on which cluster your account is hosted.

I'd be pretty upset if my keyboard stopped working when I moved abroad, or windows changed locale.

I have a theory, "loughrans third law of computing", which is "you can determine the network infrastructure of the developers by how badly the apps fail on laptops". Apple developers live off their laptops. Google developers clearly dont get to travel enough.

  jack [06.03.07 12:47 AM]

Maybe I am over simplyfying this...but couldn't this problem be solved by Google by simply adding an option in the Google Account Options which lets you select your national language, then applies it whenever you use their apps, regardless of country.

And I had noticed this in Gran Canaria for the last 3 years or so. Whenever I typed Google.com, I got Google.es.

  marcel weiss [06.03.07 07:22 AM]

It's already a well known isssue for people outside the us (or any other englishspeaking area for that matter).

Here in Germany for example it's quite annoying that if you do a search on google with 'any language' they present you (mostly inferior) german results before the usual 'best answers' you were actually looking for.

Thanks, Google, but I do understand English. And yeah, no way to change that without going into advanced search. Nice, isn't it.

  Nick [06.03.07 10:53 AM]

Whats even more annoying is that when I use T Mobile wifi in Starbucks in the UK, Google defaults to the German search page. If I open iTunes, it also starts speaking German to me. Not clever enough.

  Shirin [06.04.07 12:07 AM]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the feedback. I, too, have been burned by Calendar being too clever and changing the language on me while I've been traveling. The good news is that we plan to address the issue in an upcoming release.

Thanks!
Shirin Oskooi
Product Manager, Google Calendar

  michael holloway [06.06.07 11:19 AM]

I feel exceptionally boxed-in by MS, and only marginally boxed-in by Google. Google was modern.

I agree with what Andrew Perepelytsya was saying.

Google is miss-labeling some products as beta(limited field test) when in fact, they should be labeled alpha(in conception).

Like Google Analytics.

Also, New Blogger widgets sometimes get in the way of what it is you want to do. At the same time the widgets themselves could be linked with every widget feature they presently offer; why not?

  J.O. Urban [10.29.07 01:24 PM]

lol, Well maybe some people wouldn't mind getting used to a new language while they are there. Buf for someone who is a road warrior I can see this becoming highly annoying.