Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

The Web is touted as the great equalizer -- a platform so important to education, global relations, and business that initiatives have pushed to bring computers with Internet access to even the most remote and impoverished places on Earth.

Why then is such a large part of the Web still geared toward the United States? When it comes to media sharing sites and "international" Web-oriented organizations, many are still largely based in and limit their customers to the U.S.

For instance, a regular complaint from potential users of media sites like Hulu and Pandora involves the "geotardation" of the sites; complicated license agreements with media sources limit many sites to U.S. residents only. Even online retailers often require a U.S.-based debit card if you don't have a major credit card.

The Online News Association's (ONA) annual conference just started in Washington, DC, and as Reportr.net noted, the schedule is weighted heavily with U.S.-based speakers. In addition, the list of nominees for the ONA awards, which are supposed to honor the best in online journalism, mostly include American journalists and news organizations. Aside from the Toronto Globe and Mail, the majority of non-English nominees appear in the "non-English language" category. The article also points out that ONA has a subcommittee called the "International Committee of the ONA." How can the "premier" organization for online journalists need a subcommittee as a reminder that it's supposed to be a global organization?

Commenter Rebecca MacKinnon stated that she let her ONA membership expire after realizing that all the group's activities (including the annual conference) were held in North America, reinforcing the U.S.-centric feel of the organization. ONA isn't alone, however, with many Web events held only in the U.S. The Webby Awards, supposedly recognizing the best the Web has to offer, is also held only in the U.S., and skews toward U.S.-based sites.

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs

Why is the Web still so U.S.-centric?

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:58:55 -0400

No matter the name, the Web really isn't a "world-wide" Web yet.

Disclosure: IDG, The Industry Standard's parent company, is a Webby Awards partner.

Public domain image of Earth from NASA.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

Special Feature: The Digital Home of 2013: 10 consumer technologies that will succeed, and five that will fail
Special Feature: Where are they now? The Industry Standard tracks down 10 dot-coms from the Web bubble of the late 1990s
Special Feature: The Industry Standard's Top 25 B-to-Z List Blogs