At 6:46 PM -0500 2/23/99, Gordon Campbell wrote:
>At 06:45 AM 23/02/99 -0800, you wrote:
>>
>>I see this attitude all the time with my web clients. It's still hard for
>>many people to grasp that the web is global, and that they need to allow
>>for this in their site. It affects web design in all kinds of ways.
>
>It's funny that most of the rest of the world doesn't seem to fall into
>this trap. For instance, I'm in Canada. I had a call today from a woman
>whose in-laws own a hotel in Turkey. They're interested in a web site to
>attract more clients from England. How's that for global thinking? ;-)
Actually, I don't think it's odd at all.
Most Americans do not have a passport. Most citizens of other western
countries - do. Why? Because America is unique in its size, lack of
geographic boundary with other nations (only two, Canada and Mexico, and
you don't need a passport to visit either one), and its influence on the
world market (ie, we have traditionally shipped "out" more that we shipped
"in"). Each of these have contributed to a "US-centric" worldview for many
Americans.
This is probably not unlike the worldview of a British citizen at the
height of the British Empire ("the sun never sets on the British flag"
point in history).
Marketing wise (ie, commerce), European businesses have always been more
"global" in their mindset, if you are looking solely at political
boundaries.
However, in the example above, how is a Turkey-to-England sales pitch
different, geographically, than a "Florida-to-Alaska" one? In political
boundaries, one is "international" and the other is "domestic" ... but in
culture and geographic distance/diversity, they are similar.
Granted, Alaskans and Floridians supposedly speak the same language.
However. one could debate whether "florida cowboy culture", that is, rural
north florida, is one-and-the-same with "alaska logger" or "alaska
fisherman" or even if they speak the same "language."
See the _Nine Nations of North America_ (or is it Seven? I only know that I
live in 'Ecotopia' and the book grew out of a fabulous NYTimes or
Washington Post Sunday "thought piece") ....
Florida businesses have always targeted the 'frigid northern' states -- so
I think the Turkey/England example falters here, if you discount political
boundaries.
*IF* you think of American states as independent countries -- which in
size, GNP and population is not an unreasonable thing to do -- then the
markets have been "international" for some time.
America has enjoyed a common, heterogenous market for goods and services
for a very long time -- its small busineses haven't *needed* to look
outside its political borders for markets, except for the very large
companies.
Also, although the web was "born" in Europe, its legs and backbone were
birthed in America (browsers, ARPA, even gopher & veronica). Much of the
software and hardware development is centered in the US. Contributing to a
US centric view of the Web as well.
Kathy
[who has no idea if this has made sense to anyone else]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Kathy E. Gill, http://www.dotparagon.com/R65/
WWW design � writing � training - http://www.dotparagon.com/
Mac Advocacy - http://www.halcyon.com/kegill/mac/
Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they
should live next door and just visit now and then.
--- Katharine Hepburn
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