Why does Google use location for language rather than browser settings?

Re:Why does Google use location for language rather than bro... by southerntofu on Friday March 11, 2022 @07:35AM (#30639045)

> ("ctrl-g" for "bold" - "grossir").

Just nitpicking, but "g" stands for "gras", a literal translation of "bold" in the context of typography.

> I remember some HN user from Switzerland saying that IIRC either his IP is being moved around in geoIP databases between Swiss regions

And that's why assigning users to specific services/servers/translations depending on IP is the worst kind of evil. Please let us choose the language consciously in a menu, or respect our browser settings: whatever our shit ISPs are doing behind the scenes should not impact our browsing, and no, IP addresses don't have a "country" and the simple fact that you need to use 3rd party databases (geoIP etc) is proof of that and just how stupid the whole concept is.

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Re:Why does Google use location for language rather than bro... by mananaysiempre on Friday March 11, 2022 @08:39AM (#30639717)

> no, IP addresses don't have a "country"

But, but, IP ranges have a “country” field in the RIPE database!

[Just pointing out it’s a mostly-right (aka subtly-wrong) solution that seems like a really good and straightforward idea at first (sufficiently ignorant) glance.]

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Re:Why does Google use location for language rather than bro... by occamrazor on Friday March 11, 2022 @08:29AM (#30639594)

Nitpicking your nitpick: “gras” means “fat” and, only in a typographical context, “bold”.

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