Adventures in web globalization, since 2002
John Yunker 
Google Translate is the world’s most popular machine translation tool. And, despite predictions by many experts in the translation industry, the quality of Google Translate has improved nicely over the past …
Perhaps it’s human nature (or perhaps just savvy marketing) to think up new and unique ways of organizing our world. BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) is one popular grouping. And did you …
Greece has received string approval for an IDN, shown below in red: This brings to 35 the number countries with approved IDNs — and an impressive range of scripts, shown here: I’ve just …
Translators Without Borders is an amazing organization of volunteer translators using their skills to make the world a better place. One project worth noting is an ambitious effort to translate valuable …
As FedEx closes its acquisition of TNT Express, I see an opportunity for FedEx to improve its global website. In the recent Web Globalization Report Card, among delivery services companies, …
Today, the JQuery Foundation has announced availability of Globalize 1.0: Globalize provides developers with always up-to-date global number formatting and parsing, date and time formatting and parsing, currency formatting, and message …
For the 2015 Web Globalization Report Card, we studied 10 retail websites: Best Buy Costco GameStop Gap H&M IKEA McDonald’s Staples Starbucks Toys R Us UNIQLO Walmart Zara Out of those …
Adobe provides French, German and Japanese tutorials for Photoshop Elements. But what about other languages? Until the funding comes along for additional translation, Adobe directs users to tutorials created in Spanish, Polish, …
For the 2015 Web Globalization Report Card, we studied 14 automotive manufacturers and one supplier (Michelin). Audi BMW Chevrolet Ford Goodyear Honda Hyundai Land Rover Lexus Mercedes Michelin Mini Nissan Toyota Volkswagen …
In the 2015 Web Globalization Report Card, slightly more than half of the websites studied use geolocation specifically to improve global navigation. This is up significantly from just a few …
This is not exactly breaking news, but Armenia now has an IDN: հայ Here it is in my fast-evolving IDN map: This means that 34 countries now have delegated IDNs. …
Four years ago, for the Web Globalization Report Card, I began noting (and rewarding) those websites that supported mobile devices. Even then one could easily see the virtual grounds shifting in favor of mobile …
I enjoying watching how Western companies localize their websites and products to capitalize on Chinese New Year — the Year of the Sheep (or Goat). Like this gift card from Starbucks …
Nice to see that LinkedIn has added support for Arabic: This raises LinkedIn’s language total to 24 languages, including English. As a point of comparison, Facebook supports more than 70 …
UPDATE: The 2017 Web Globalization Report Card is now available. I’m pleased to announce the publication of The 2015 Web Globalization Report Card. Here are the top-scoring websites from the …