Google Analytics was released a few days ago and is definitely a great tool to integrate into your sites if you are interested in looking at and analyzing traffic data. (And who wouldn’t want to pour over traffic data, right?)

One interesting piece of information, which is parsed into a nice graphic, is the geographic location of your visitors. I feel it is particularly informative and found myself fantasizing about visiting some of the dots that appeared outside of the US. Here’s yesterday’s map:

While looking at this kind of information may be fun, it is a sobering reminder of the true global nature of the internet. What we say is no longer only heard by those in earshot. On the internet (especially in the blog realm), we can say something off the cuff in Sleepytown, USA, and it could pop up on someone’s radar in Australia within the hour. Sure, that may seem cool, but with such reach comes a much larger responsibility…

To an extent I am referring to being aware of language and interpretation differences, but more so, I want to stress the importance of having a more global view regarding the issues you choose to explore. Businesses and individuals who want their voices to be heard as far and wide as possible have a responsibility, in my opinion, to consider the issues and needs of all the ears they seek. Yet, even if you believe firmly in such a principle, how do you go about practically honoring it? Is it simply a matter of having compassion and reading the international press every day, or is anything short of a full cultural immersion simply fluff?

TAGS: Internet | Global | Blog | International | USA

This entry was posted on Friday, November 18th, 2005 at 10:46 am and is filed under Business Strategy, China, Corporate Social Responsibility, Interesting News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.