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16 April 2012

Racism 2.0

Dear Google,

You know I've been a fan of you all these years. And when you entered the mobile arena with your Android, I used to advocate my friends to go for it. When I decided to get a tablet, I got an Android one instead of an iPad. When I changed my Nokia phone, I got an Android one instead of iPhone. I used to believe Android is more open than iOS and something emotionally made me prefer you to Apple. But things now are gating worse between us.

Please have a look at the blow photo, it was taken in Texes in 1949. What do you think about the sign shown there?


Racism! Stupid racism! Isn't it?

Well, now, more than 60 years later, you are almost doing the same thing? I visit your Market (you call it Google Play now) to download a game or an application, and you show me a message telling me that such content is not available in my country. What's the difference between your message and the above one?! Seriously, I cannot see any difference between the two. One is racism and the other is Racism 2.0. That's the only difference here.

Not only that some applications are not available here, but also I am not allowed to download anything from the market but the free applications.

Things get even worse. There is no way in your settings to change my country there. So guess what, when I go there to see the top social applications, I see the below applications!

Let alone the fact that I have no clue why you consider these to be social applications, but why do you assume that since I am Egyptian or an Arab I will find an application with videos of Sheikh Mohamed Hassaan interesting to me!? In your Google Search page you allow me to switch the language into English if I want to, so why don't you do the same thing here and allow me to pick the country or region that I like? What if I was an American or even a Chinese or a Swedish person living in Egypt? Huh!?

And please don't say that you are not allowing non-free applications here because of administrative or legal reasons, because Apple users can download pay applications on their iPads and iPhones, so if there is a will, there is a way!

Regards,
Tarek Amr